SPRINGFIELD – School districts could move forward from the pandemic without worrying about funding cuts due to temporary low enrollment under a measure sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove), which has passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature.

“Our teachers and administrators worked overtime to adapt to remote and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 crisis,” Johnson said. “To cut their funding now would be to pull the rug out from under them just when they are beginning to recover.”

Currently, the school funding formula uses average student enrollment over the previous three school years to determine the amount of money districts receive. To lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools’ budgets, Johnson’s legislation would allow school districts to calculate their average student enrollment based on pre-COVID levels.

Under the measure, districts could choose to use attendance records from the 2019-20 or the 2020-21 school year, whichever is greater, in their funding formulas to ensure they don’t lose out on crucial dollars as a result of the temporary drop in attendance some schools experienced during the pandemic.

“For many kids, school was a lifeline to the outside world during the pandemic,” Johnson said. “It’s important that our districts don’t miss out on a single cent as they make the transition back to the classroom.”

Senate Bill 813, an initiative of Waukegan School District #60, passed the Senate in April with bipartisan support and advanced out of the House Thursday with a vote of 75-39.

SWANSEA – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) announced Friday that the Metro East area he represents will receive nearly $50 million to improve roads and bridges over the next year.

“I’m pleased to see funds spent on the roads we travel on every day, including some that are in desperate need of repair,” Belt said. “Maintaining and improving our roads needs to be a priority for Illinois to ensure we can safely get places.”

This funding comes from the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, which promotes economic growth by investing in the state’s transportation system. Through the multi-year plan, $20.7 billion will be used to improve over 2,700 miles of roads and nearly 8 million square feet of bridges throughout Illinois over the next six years.

“The Rebuild Illinois program invests and supports our communities by creating more jobs and promoting economic growth,” Belt said. “This plan will provide hundreds of jobs for those who were left unemployed from the pandemic, helping us put it behind us and get our state back on track.”

Over the next year, 25 projects are scheduled, totaling $47.9 million.

Notable projects taking place in Fiscal Year 2022 are listed below:

• I-70 bridge repair over the Mississippi River in St. Clair County
• 3 miles of reconstruction on IL 3 at 20^th Street in Granite City
• 51 miles of pavement improvements on Old Collinsville Road from Ashland Avenue in Fairview Heights to Lebanon Avenue in Swansea
• 39 miles of pavement improvements on East and West Highway 50 from Anne Avenue to IL 158 in St. Clair County
• 62 miles of reconstruction on 1^st Street from C Street to E Street in Granite City

For a full list of projects in the 57^th District, visit IDOT's website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is hosting a vaccination event in partnership with Howard Brown Health, the Illinois Institute of Technology, State Representative Lamont Robinson, State Representative Kam Buckner, and Alderman Pat Dowell this Saturday.

“From our community health fairs to these mass vaccination clinics, Illinois Tech has been a terrific partner in helping to promote a healthy and thriving community,” Hunter said. “I am excited to partner with them on this vaccination event, helping Illinoisans stay protected against the worst of COVID-19.”

Howard Brown Health will be providing the Moderna vaccine on Saturday, May 22 from 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in Hermann Hall, by appointment only.

Appointments are open to all students, faculty, and staff, and neighbors throughout the Southside community. Anyone part of the Illinois Tech community is encouraged to sign up here.

PEORIA – Central Illinois communities will see nearly $40 million in funding for road and bridge projects in 2022 as part of the latest Multi-Year Plan under the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Rebuild Illinois initiative, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced Friday.

“Our communities stand to benefit greatly from investment of this scale,” Koehler said. “Not only will these projects invigorate our economy and create good-paying jobs, but they will ensure safer commutes for our residents and generally benefit everyone who drives on our roads, crosses our bridges, or walks on our sidewalks.”

The funding comes as an installment of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan which aims to promote economic growth and reliable infrastructure throughout the state. This Multi-Year Plan will invest $20.7 billion in over 2,700 miles of roads and nearly 8 million square feet of bridges across Illinois over the span of the next six years.

The roughly $40 million being dedicated to the 46^th District will fund 19 projects slated to begin next year. The list of projects includes a great deal of work in regards to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities act, the repair or reconstruction of several bridges, additional lanes, new sidewalks, and improved intersections throughout the district. Most notably, long awaited repairs will begin on Route 24 and Galena Road.

Significant repairs that will begin in 2022 include:

• $1 million worth of repairs to Route 24
• 14 miles of repairs to I-474 worth $24 million
• Upgrades to the US 150 bridge over the Illinois River worth more than $3 million
• Upgrades worth $2 million on the IL 8 / IL 116 bridge in East Peoria

Those interested can find a comprehensive list of projects slated for the 46^th District on IDOT’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – In a victory for northern Illinoisans with mental illnesses and their families, a plan proposed by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) to eliminate barriers to mental health care access has passed both houses of the Illinois government.

“For many patients, being able to stay connected with loved ones during care can mean a faster recovery and a smoother transition to life after treatment,” Johnson said. “The passage of this measure is great news for northern Illinois residents, who will now be able to receive care at a location that’s more convenient for them and their families.”

The legislation would create the Interstate Contracts for Mental Health Disorder Treatment Act, allowing Illinois and Wisconsin residents who are involuntarily admitted for inpatient treatment of a mental health disorder to be treated at private facilities across state lines.

For residents who live near the border of Illinois and Wisconsin, the closest qualified hospital or facility is often not in their home state. However, current law prohibits residents from being committed for mental health conditions outside the state, meaning that these residents must undergo treatment hours from family and loved ones.

Similar collaborative arrangements have been successfully enacted in Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota, which allow providers in these states to accept patients from Wisconsin for mental health treatment.

“Expanding access to mental health treatment means making it easier for people to receive care that fits their needs,” Johnson said. “Part of that is allowing patients to seek treatment within their own communities.”

Senate Bill 1966 passed the House and Senate with unanimous support.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has more lead lines that bring drinking water into homes than any other state. To make sure communities have the money to replace those lines and keep drinking water safe, State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) has spearheaded the Lead Service Line Replacement Notification Act in the Senate.

“Lead service lines are a health threat that poisons our children, undermines our residents’ confidence in our municipal government and costs billions of dollars,” Bush said. “This measure is a feasible and equitable path forward that would require all cities in Illinois to tackle a problem that we know harms Black and Latinx communities the most.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Senate Labor Committee approved a measure sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) that will allow teachers and other school employees to use paid sick leave after fostering, adopting or giving birth to a child.

"Today's Illinois families are formed and function quite differently than when these laws were originally written,” Feigenholtz said. "New parents, including LGBTQ+ couples and single parents, should have flexibility to decide how and when to use their earned time off to care for and bond with their new child.”

House Bill 816 redefines how teachers and other school employees outside of Chicago are able to use 30 working days of paid sick leave after the birth, adoption or fostering of a child at any time within the year after the child joins the family.

SPRINGFIELD – Central Illinois communities will see more than $400 million in funding for road and bridge projects over the next six years as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) announced Thursday.

“The Rebuild Illinois program is the largest infrastructure investment in Illinois’ history, and continues to have a transformational impact on Central Illinois,” Turner said. “This financial commitment is not just about streets and highways or roads and bridges. It has a much larger and life-changing impact. Through this funding and Investment infrastructure we are invigorating communities, promoting healthy living spaces, spurring economic development, and putting people to work in good union jobs right here in our own neighborhoods.”